Uncover some of the remotest and most mysterious landscapes in the United Kingdom—embark on a six-day women’s hiking tour of the Orkney Islands! Roam picturesque beaches, view some of the UK’s tallest sea stacks, and see endless historic highlights, including the 900-year-old St. Magnus Cathedral and the 5,000-year-old Skara Brae, the best-preserved neolithic settlement in Western Europe.
We check in at the Ferry Inn in Stromness between 3 pm and 4 pm, with time to settle in. At 5:30 pm, we meet our guide for a briefing about the days ahead, followed by dinner. After dinner, we take a short evening walk around Stromness to get a first look at some of the local wildlife.
Meals: Three-course dinner
Accommodation: Ferry Inn
We spend our first full day on Orkney’s wild west coast, with its rugged coastline and spectacular cliffs. Here, we take in the sights, sounds, and smells of a busy seabird city: fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, gannets, and hopefully puffins too. We get down on our hands and knees to look for the Scottish primrose, a very rare wildflower, and follow cliff-top paths through carpets of wildflowers while watching for marine mammals out at sea. After dinner, we return to the coast for a puffin walk, since evenings are the best time to see them.
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, three-course dinner
Accommodation: Ferry Inn
We cross Scapa Flow by ferry and spend the crossing out on deck looking for ducks and seabirds. Hoy, often called the “high island,” is mostly an RSPB reserve in the north, and it’s the largest of Orkney’s RSPB reserves. Here, we look for eagles, hen harriers, and other birds of prey soaring over the hills and moorland. We also watch for great skuas, red-throated divers, and stonechats. At ground level, we find carnivorous plants and fierce little predators like the green tiger beetle.
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, three-course dinner
Accommodation: Ferry Inn
We continue the moorland theme on Orkney’s Mainland, exploring moors and lochs that are home to several RSPB reserves. Some of them have hides, so we can watch the wildlife without disturbing it. Over the moors, we look for hen harriers sky dancing, merlins, buzzards, and other birds of prey, while curlews and skylarks fill the air with sound. The lochs are full of ducks, geese, and swans, and the wetlands are breeding grounds for waders and gulls. After dinner, we take an evening stroll around the RSPB Brodgar reserve.
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, three-course dinner
Accommodation: Ferry Inn
Our last full day is more relaxed as we head to the East Mainland and the south isles linked to it by causeways. Here, we look for black guillemots, fulmars, shags, waders, skylarks, and meadow pipits among carpets of wildflowers and butterflies. We visit a sandy beach to see little and Arctic terns and keep an eye out to sea for whales, dolphins, and seals. After dinner, there’s an option for one last evening walk, perhaps at sunset or around Stromness.
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, three-course dinner
Accommodation: Ferry Inn
We say goodbye to Orkney after breakfast, around 10 am. If you’re traveling later in the day, there’s an option for a short morning walk.
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch
Included:
Not included:
This Orkney wildlife walking tour requires only a basic level of fitness. The walks are gentle and taken at a relaxed pace, with plenty of stops to watch birds, look for wildflowers, and take in the views. Just be prepared for Scottish weather, which can bring rain at any time of year.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
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Group sizes and prices:
Hiking in the Orkney Islands can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
There are too many livestock on Orkney so dogs or any other animals are not allowed.
The starting point of this tour is the Ferry Inn in Stromness, on Orkney’s Mainland. The most scenic way to get there is by ferry from Scrabster. From Inverness, take a bus or a train to Thurso, then a short bus or taxi ride to the ferry terminal. On arrival, the Ferry Inn is just a short walk away. Alternatively, you can fly into Kirkwall Airport (KOI) and take a pre-booked taxi to Stromness.
Make sure to arrive by 4 pm on Day 1 to check in, followed by a briefing with your guide at 5:30 pm and dinner.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.